l
Scotts Valley
l
Computer Science
Aptos
Watsonville
6500 Soquel Dr. l Aptos, CA 95003 l 831- 479 - 6100
How To Enroll
Step 1 You may apply
online at www.cabrillo.
edu. If you have any questions, contact the Cabrillo
College Admissions &
Records Office in Building 100 of the Aptos campus
located on 6500 Soquel Drive, phone (831) 7496201; or in Watsonville on 318 Union Street, phone
(831) 786-4701.
Step 2 You will receive registration information in the
mail including your time to begin registering.
Who May Enroll
Cabrillo College is open to anyone 18 years of age
or older, or anyone with a high school diploma or
proficiency certificate. High school students also may
attend classes at Cabrillo on a limited basis with the
permission of their high school principals.
Nondiscrimination Policy
Cabrillo Community College does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic
group identification, national origin, religion, age, sex, race, color, physical
or mental disability, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, procedures, or
practices. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission and access to, and
treatment and employment in, the college’s programs and activities, including
vocational education programs. Limited English language skills will not be a
barrier to admission to and participation in vocational education programs.
Plan De Acción No Discriminatoria
Cabrillo Community College no discrimina a base de identificación
con grupos étnicos, nacionalidad de origen, religión, edad, sexo, raza,
color, incapacidad mental o física ni orientación sexual en ninguna de
sus reglamentaciones, procedimientos o prácticas. Este plan de acción no
discriminatoria incluye la admisión y el acceso a los programas y actividades, y el tratamiento y el empleo en los mismos, incluyendo la educación
vocacional. Tener limitadas destrezas en el idioma inglés no constituirá
una barrera para ser admitido o participar en los programas de educación
vocacional.
5/11
The Profession
Computers are part of almost everything we do,
from the GPS systems in the cars we drive to the
cell phones and music players we use. Because
computers are so much a part of our society, most
businesses and other organizations use computers
extensively. In fact, many of the most rewarding
“At the university level I had taken a Java class and was completely lost. I also had taken a Java class at another junior college and failed (along with nearly
all of the other students)
due to the instructor only knowing C++! I came to Cabrillo to get myself up to par and the class here was great. It was easy to follow and my understanding of Java is much better now. Before I only knew C++ and thought Java would be confusing but it wasn’t. It was great. I actually enjoy programming in Java now…just like how it was
in C++.”
—Dawn Spaulding
careers, both financially and intellectually, require a
deep understanding of computers and computing.
Computer Science is the study of computers
and computing. It is the intelligence and creativity
of the computer scientist that is responsible for the
technological innovations that have so radically
transformed every aspect of our society and our lives.
Computer Science is a fascinating and chal-
lenging subject that deals with big questions like,
“What is intelligence and can we reproduce it in a
machine?” Or, “How do we make sense out of the
billions of gigabytes of data on the Internet?” As a
computer science student, you will explore these
exciting topics and many more.
Computing drives innovation in many areas
including business, engineering, entertainment
and science. Computer software, the instructions
that computer scientists give to computers, have
provided the necessary tools to unravel the human
genome, research AIDS vaccines and monitor the
environment (to mention a few). If you want to make
a positive difference in the world, study computing.
This publication was funded in full or in part by Perkins IV Title I-C
allocation agreement 10-C01-005 awarded to the Cabrillo Community
College District by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
cabrillo.edu
Computer Science
“Cabrillo’s Computer Science Department is education at its best: instructors with industry experience and broad
knowledge of computer technology that want you to succeed. After years of classes at Cabrillo there are still a — Zeb Nevins handful that I want to take and some that I plan to take a second time.”
such as computer engineering, computer science,
management, mathematics, project management, quality
management, and systems engineering.
Computer Engineering
Computer Science is much more than programming.
Programming is merely the process of translating
the procedures we want a computer to execute into
instructions it can follow. The more crucial aspect of
computer science is determining what we want the
computer to do in the first place. Thus, while the
knowledge of a language like C++ or Java is important, programming is only one of the tools that allow
you to achieve great things with computers.
Computer Science has many sub-fields including:
algorithms and data structures, computer graphics,
programming language theory, software engineering,
computer architecture, databases, artificial intelligence
and human-computer interaction. At Cabrillo, you
receive the foundation you need to excel in all these
areas. Some of these fields are described below.
Software Engineering
The software that tells the computer how to perform its
tasks can be very complex to create and some software
takes years to develop. To handle this complexity,
software engineers define software requirements,
develop software systems, tools, and methods as well
as constructing the software for computer applications
and systems. They draw on knowledge from fields
Computer Science graduate student at UCSC and Cabrillo graduate
Computer engineering combines elements of electrical
engineering with computer science. Computer engineers develop the circuits and hardware for computerbased systems, including the processors at the heart of
all computers. As a student in this discipline you will
study the designs of digital hardware and software that
have led to the development of mobile devices, X-ray
machines and even robots.
Game Programming
As part of game development, the game programmer
utilizes his or her computer science skills to create computer graphics and animation displays, to play music
and sound effects, to develop intelligence for game
characters, and to enable intuitive human-computer
interaction. The knowledge and training that a game
programmer receives are useful in other industries
such as simulation (airplane simulators), telepresence
(remote surgery or bomb disposal robots), assistive
technology (smart prosthesis), and movie animation
and special effects.
Web Programming
When a Web page designer wants more interactive
and dynamic web pages, he or she learns to use clientside and server-side programming languages. On the
server, a developer must often design and program
databases. The combination of client-side and serverside programming enables many of the newer Web
services like Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, Cloud
Computing, Audiogalaxay and IceRocket.
Career Opportunities
Computer scientists and engineers continue to be in
great demand. As businesses across all sectors utilize
increasingly sophisticated and complex computer technology in their daily operations, there is a greater need
for the expertise of highly-skilled professionals. As a
result, there are more jobs created in the U.S. than are
transferred offshore.
In fact, good jobs offering a high salary, interesting
work and benefits are plentiful in the computer science
field. However, to obtain one, you will need to complete
a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the subject area.
Most colleges and universities offer degrees in computer
science and computer engineering, and Cabrillo College courses transfer to the majority of them. (Please
see our course website for more information regarding
Cabrillo’s transfer agreements with colleges and universities in California.)
Once you have completed your degree in computer
science, a typical career path is software engineering.
The U.S. Department of Labor lists computer software
engineering, both application and systems software,
among the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. 1.
The most recent study projects that job growth in that
industry will grow by 32% in the ten-year period ending
in 2018. In comparison, the average job growth rate for
all professions is 8.2% for the same period. Similarly,
according to the California Employment Department
job growth in the software engineering field in the same
ten-year period is estimated to increase by 31.1%, far
exceeding the average rate for all occupations of 9.7%.
Because of the high demand for job candidates
with a computer science background, careers in com-
View more Computer Science information online:
cabrillo.edu/programs/cs
puter science-related fields are well-paid. The average
starting salary for a new computer science graduate
is over $61,000 per year, while the average salary for
all computer science professionals is over $90,000
annually 2. In comparison, the average salary for all
occupations is $43,460 per year. Thus, as a Computer
Science graduate, you can expect to make more than
twice the salary of most occupations.
1
Fastest growing occupations, 2008-18 (latest available), http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_103.htm
2
May 2009 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm